A city all its own

Airdrie has come a long way from its roots along the tracks of the Calgary Edmonton Railway.

Located almost literally in the shadow of Calgary, Airdrie’s rise from sleepy railway stop to full-fledged city is reflected in the number of people who choose to call the community home.

Rising from just over 12,000 residents in 1991 to 58,690 in the recently released 2015 census, Airdrie is now Alberta’s seventh largest city, ranking ahead of such centres as Leduc and Grande Prairie.

Airdrie’s population grew by 3,799 or 10.4 new residents per day, versus 5,331 total or 15 new residents per day last year – a growth rate of 6.92 per cent growth rate, compared to 10.76 per cent last year.

“Airdrie continues to be popular with people looking for a friendly community with lots of amenities,” said Mayor Peter Brown.

The city saw 1,620 new homes built by April 15, 2015, an increase of 8.1 per cent for a total of 21,623 – this includes single family and multi-family residential options.

Released earlier in the year, The City of Airdrie’s 2015 Citizen Satisfaction Survey reflects why so many people are choosing to call Airdrie home, with 97 per cent of residents indicating favourable responses towards the city’s quality of life.

“I’m very happy with the results of this survey,” said Mayor Brown. “I’m proud that our citizens are showing great satisfaction with life in Airdrie. There’s always room for improvement, and we’ll look closely at the areas identified as opportunities for us, but overall I’m very pleased with the results.”

Residents’ perceived value for tax dollar showed a significant improvement, returning to 2013 levels from a drop in 2014. The City also showed improvements in the eyes of residents in managing community affairs (83 per cent satisfaction versus 79 per cent from 2014) and efficiency of services (77 per cent satisfaction versus 73 per cent in 2014).

“The survey results are very encouraging, particularly given the city’s sustained high growth. The consultant has indicated that typically, high satisfaction scores are difficult to sustain in the face of high growth pressures,” said Dorian Kachur, team leader, Business Strategy. Airdrie consistently yields results that are in the top three, and usually second or top, of the approximately 45 municipalities that Banister Research surveys.

“The survey serves as a report card for how residents think the City is performing, and also guides Council and Administration in setting priorities for the upcoming year, enabling us to focus on the services and amenities that are important to our residents. There is always a focus on continuous improvement.”